Shadow of a Dream
by wolf-wrath
Summary: Lila Animus thought that her life at Hogwarts would be perfect, just like her sister's. But when a small complication arises, her entire life gets thrown into chaos. She soon learns the best things in life, are not always planned. Marauder's Era
1. The Letter

_//Author's Note// Hey this is Wrath coming at you with my newest Fanfic! I know I don't have many followers or reviewers. Do I even have any? ." but I will post anyway. I hope that if you read this you wi__ll review and let me know what you think._

_ ~~Wrath =^.^= _

Lila stared at the letter in her father's hands with wide cobalt blue eyes. The crest embedded on the red wax was enough to quell her doubts. She squealed happily and threw herself into her father's arms much to her mother's disapproval. A lady must never show her emotions after all.

"Really Father? I can go to Hogwarts too? I'll get to learn all sorts of magic?" She said happily taking the letter from her father's hand and tearing it open. She barely skimmed the main letter before she took the list of items in her hand ran over to her mother.

"Look Mother, Professor Dumbledore wants me to go to Hogwarts too! Can we go shopping now?" She asked schooling her face into a pout she knew no one was able to resist; her father smiled and looked up at his wife who hadn't moved from her seat in the drawing room. She nodded indifferently and returned to her embroidery.

"Perfecta's school list will have come along as well, take her with you too Kaine." Estelle said, without once looking up from her work.

Kaine nodded before calling for his house elf, Ancilla. The house elf scurried into the room wearing a tea-cosy on her head like a cap and an old section of faded blue table cloth draped around her like a toga. Her lamp-like blue eyes shone with adoration for her master.

"You called for me Master Kaine," she said in a high pitched melodic voice. She wrung the dust cloth in her hand nervously as if she'd done something wrong, when she noticed Estelle staring at her with distaste. "Has Ancilla done something wrong?"

"No, Anne you haven't. I was wondering if Perfecta has woken yet?" he replied kneeling down so the elf needn't crane her neck to look at him.

"Not yet master, she came in very late last night. Shall I wake her?"

"Please, and tell her that she must be ready in one hour or Lila and I will leave for Diagon Alley without her." With that he gave a slight wave of his hand and dismissed Ancilla. Lila followed her out of the room to her own bedroom to get dressed.

"Kaine, you spoil that child." Estelle said placing her embroidery onto the table beside her chair; she brushed a lock of her long blonde hair behind her ear. "She must learn to act as a lady must, not in this manner to which she is accustomed. She is too wild as is."

Kaine sighed, and ran a hand through his own jet black curls. It was the same conversation every day. Estelle just couldn't be happy with the way Lila was, she hadn't even wanted a second daughter. She thought that their first born, Perfecta, was —as her name suggested— perfect. She was always disappointed that Lila was a girl; the family needed a male heir.

"Estelle I will not have you insulting you own child, merely because she does not take on your familial traits. It shouldn't be a problem that my own daughter looks like me." He said walking towards the door too irritated to continue this conversation with her today.

—

Lila wore a simple black pleated skirt and a pale blue blouse, she nervously stared at her reflection in her goblin made silver vanity mirror; deep blue —nearly black— eyes stared out at her from gloomy, hollow-like sockets. They made her pale skin seem even more ashen by comparison. Her black hair fell in loose curls framing her oval face and high cheekbones.

"Ugly, you'll be run out of Hogwarts for sure."

Lila gasped and turned to look at her elder sister. Perfecta leaned against the doorframe smirking evilly, wearing her school uniform and her strawberry-blonde hair parted into two heron bone braids.

"Perfecta, what are you doing here?" she asked immediately pulling her hair nervously over her shoulder and twisting it.

"Why should you be accepted into the school? You've only ever walked across water. That's bullshit, how does that qualify as magic?" she hissed walking into the room and standing behind Lila. "You couldn't qualify for Ravenclaw with that weak shit. The sorting is the hard part. You have to perform countless spells. And then if you manage to pass that, you must answer questions about Hogwart's history."

"They must have changed since I went to school then Perfecta." Kaine said as he walked into the room. "Stop pestering your sister. Lila all you have to do is put on a hat and it will tell you what House you're in, nothing drastic. It normally chooses your house by your personality but it will also move from lineage. The Neige family has been in the Ravenclaw for twenty-five generations, we're distant descendants of Ravenclaw herself. And on your mother's side— the Gowan family— has been in Ravenclaw & Slytherin every other generation. I'm sure you'll make us proud." Kaine leaned down to brush the hair from Lila's ear, and whispered softly, "You're my daughter I'll accept you no matter what."

Lila giggled and bounced from her seat dragging her father by the arm to the fireplace in the drawing room. Perfecta followed looking at her list of supplies and comparing them to her sister's.

"Father, you can just give my old books, cauldron, robes and wand to Lila, I don't mind." Perfecta said smirking at her sister who peeked out from behind her father to glare at her.

"Of course you wouldn't mind me spoiling you Perfecta, but as you remember in your first year your mother spoiled you rotten, it's my turn to spoil Lila, besides she could use it more than you." Kaine chose to ignore the hateful glare Perfecta threw at him, and instead picked Lila up and stepped into the green flames.

"Diagon Alley." He said confidently flashing his wife a charming smile before the room disappeared from his sight.


	2. Diagon Alley

_Hey its Wrath again. Yes I know a second chapter who'd have thought! =^.^'= . I'd like to thank my one and only reviewer 'TrashedXandXScattered' and wow I was even favourited! Thank you 'aluxx'. I'm going to shut up now and let the story continue where I left off and as always Read & Let me know what you think~!  
_

——

Lila hated travelling by Floo Powder, the eternal spinning and twirling made her feel sick. When they finally stopped spinning and her father stepped out of the hearth, he set her down on the ground and brushed the soot from her shoulders. He smiled softly when she beamed up at him.

"As pretty as your grandmother." He said, referring to his mother who until she died in her sleep had maintained a glorified state of beauty and youth well into her nineties. Lila blushed and clasped her father's hand as he walked down the street towards the white towers of Gringotts Bank. "Now what do you want to get first?" he asked waving off Perfecta as she spotted some friends that called her over. "Be home by dinner, sweetheart!" he called out knowing his words would be disregarded by the blond.

The child read over her list again and found only one thing that interested her. She brushed a lock of hair from her face before beaming up at her father with midnight blue eyes.

"My wand!" She squealed happily before charging ahead towards the bank leaving her father to chase along behind her, his smile never once faltering from his face.

"Neige! I didn't think I'd be seeing you around here for another few weeks yet." Kaine turned at the voice and waved to the man.

"Potter, yes well my little shadow here," he paused to gesture towards Lila as she returned to his side faithfully, quietly smiling at the other man. "She was so excited about getting her letter that I decided to take her shopping now. And you, where is that little gremlin you call a son?"

The man leaned back and let out a deep laughter his shoulders shook with each breath. When he caught his breath he called over a young boy. He was the spitting image of his father, shaggy raven hair deep brown eyes, the only difference between the two was that the boy was thin and tall; he gave off the awkward pubescent boy appearance.

"This is James; he'll be starting school this year too. Maybe he and your shadow will get along nicely." Mr Potter said reaching out to take Lila's proffered hand with his considerably larger one and kissed it briefly. "A young lady as beautiful as yourself should be treated as preciously as all the gold in Gringotts."

Lila felt the blood rising to her cheeks and blushed prettily gracing the man with another small smile. She looked up at her father next and gently clutched the edge of his cloak tugging slightly. Kaine looked down surprised before his eyes widened knowingly and he laughed quietly.

"I'm sorry she's extremely shy, her mother's beaten it into her it seems. But it would be a great feat if James and Lila became friends, she's a guaranteed Ravenclaw and your family carries Gryffindor house blood. We should be heading off; I'll see you at the Ministry on Tuesday then Potter." He said shaking the man's hand, who nodded and gave words of farewell before ushering his child down the street and into Flourish and Blotts.

"Let's go then Sweetheart. Ollivander's wands are the best in all England. It's where I got mine, holly and phoenix feather twelve inches." Kaine brandished his wand lightly sending a shower of snowflakes into the air so the fell gracefully around the two. Lila smiled brightly reaching out her hands to clasp the cold flakes. Her father put his wand back into its holster on his belt and took his daughter's small and in his own and led her to the great white towers that most of the patrons bustled towards in anticipation to get the gold harboured miles below the ground.

——

The bell above the door made a sweet chime as Kaine pushed the door of the shop open and held it as Lila hurried inside looking around with her wide eyes. An elderly man appeared from the back of the shop between the rows of shelves filled with boxes of wands. He had kindly gentle eyes that he set on Lila. He smiled warmly.

"Shopping for your first wand my child?" he asked, and Lila nodded. "Very good, now which is your wand arm?"

"I'm ambidextrous to be quite honest sir." She replied, "But I do like using my left hand better than my right."

Ollivander chuckled softly, and measured her arm length and various others, "You're sister was right-handed, you don't want to be like her?" he looked up and smiled of the face the young girl made. She had clenched her eyes shut and stuck out her tongue just barely from behind her pale pink lips. "Alright I understand. Let's try you off with a nice holly wood with phoenix feather core, eleven inches."

Ollivander handed her a smooth wand which she clutched in her thin hands. She waved it experimentally in the same movement she'd watched her father do to create the snowflakes.

Suddenly all the cupboard doors flew open releasing their contents upon the unsuspecting customers. Lila quickly handed the wand back to the elder man with an embarrassed fluster. She felt her cheeks burning as the blood rushed to them.

"It's alright my child; I've had worse happen; maybe 7 inches of oak with dragon heartstring." He handed her another wand which Lila waved more cautiously. A jet of water shot out and sprayed Ollivander's face. He spluttered and coughed as he took the wand back from the now scarlet faced child. He wandered into the back of the shop muttering to himself.

Lila looked up at her father who was hiding his mouth behind his hand. His great shoulders shook with suppressed laughter. He met her eyes with his own and ruffled her hair.

"I went through twenty wands before I found mine, darling, I actually set the shop on fire with the first one." He said comfortingly leaning down to peck her forehead.

"Cherry wood, unicorn hair core, 11 ½ inches." Ollivander said alerting the two of his reappearance. Lila took the wand with newfound confidence and gave it a gentle wave.

A shower of cherry blossom petals rained fanned out of the tip of the wand and fluttered to the floor in a refined elegance. Ollivander smiled happily and took the wand from her and placed it inside a white box with pale green tissue surrounding the red-tinted wand. Kaine paid for the wand as Lila took the package from Ollivander's outstretched hands and giddily danced around her father holding her most prized possession above her head.

Both men laughed at her performance as Kaine ushered the girl from the shop to her next destination, father and daughter strolled hand in hand to Madame Malkin's. Kaine browsed the shop as Lila was measured and was trying on her robes.

"Fancy running into you again Neige." Mr. Potter said walking into the shop carrying an armful of parcels with James at his heels carrying a few of his own. "We just finished up at Flourish and Blotts but I suggest you wait a while, the shop is getting fairly crowded with students trying to get their shopping done."

Kaine nodded, "Ollivander's is deserted, not many first-years are out yet." He said. Lila watched the two men exchanging friendly advice.

"Hi, Lila." Lila turned to James and smiled softly.

"Good morning James, how are you?" she replied politely bowing her head slightly. James smiled brightly and hopped onto the stool next to her as Madame Malkin brought out another pair of black robes for the boy.

"Doing Good. Although I wish these robes didn't make me look so much like a girl." Lila laughed and the two chatted amiably until Madame Malkin walked over to Lila handing her a package filled with 3 sets of her school uniform.

"That's you done, dear." She said helping Lila step down from the stool. Kaine paid the woman happily and clutched his daughter's hand as they left the shop and passed into the streets that were growing steadily more crowded as the time passed.

——

Lila and her father sat at one of the vacant tables outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour sharing a vanilla sundae. Their many packages sat on the table and spilled onto the chair between them.

Kaine was flipping through one of the books that he'd purchased in Flourish and Blotts while pulling Lila away from a book that promised the teaching of many curses that he could only assume would be pulled on Perfecta. The book had caught his eye and he had been immersed in it since they sat down.

Lila watched her father read the book as she sucked on the tip of her spoon. She pulled out her school list and looked over everything she'd had bought and if there was anything they had missed, trying to keep as quiet as possible so as not to disturb her father.

Uniform Ö

Books Ö

Wand Ö

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)Ö

1 set of crystal or glass phials Ö

Telescope Ö

Set brass scales Ö

She was about to put her list back into the breast pocket of her blouse when she noticed the script written at the bottom of the page.

_Students are permitted to bring an owl OR cat OR other SAFE pet_

Lila let out an unplanned squeal of delight drawing the attention of many of the other patrons around her. Kaine looked up from his book with worried eyes, his thoughts going straight to the worst case situations. His hand was on his wand before he realized that his daughter was perfectly fine aside from her cheeks burning red with embarrassment.

"What is it, Lila darling?"

"Can I have a pet? Please father, I promise to take care of it." Lila begged, willing her face into her well structured puppy-pout. Kaine feigned being stuck by an arrow laughing happily as his daughter unable to hold her facial expression any longer burst into laughter as well.

"Yes, Lila. I think it only fair. Perfecta got an owl for her first year gift. What would you like?" he said reaching over to ruffle her hair. Lila scrunched up her face her tongue sticking just barely out between her lips.

Suddenly she brightened up and an entire aura of pink seemed to resonate from her smile. She giggled bouncing in her seat slightly, she beckoned him to come closer. Her father couldn't help but smile as well and reach over to hug her as she whispered in his ear.

"Alright let's go get you your pet.... your mother is going to kill me." He replied grabbing the majority of the packages in his arms and held his free hand out to Lila who took it happily while struggling to carry the remainder of the packages. Kaine smiled softly and set his packages down onto the table again, "here sweetheart." He took the parcels from her and set them onto the table to brandishing his wand he waved it. All the packages shrunk down drastically until none of them were any larger than the size of his fist. He pulled them all into a small sac he conjured before taking Lila's hand again. "Now let's go."


	3. Nichodemus

_Hey boys and girls Wolf-wrath is back with chapter three! Yes I know amazing isn't it! I'd just like to say thank you to my reviewers, and to all the people watching my story I apologize for my late updates. Exams are a bitch when you fail half your courses. *pouts* so I was unable to write as much as I wanted._

_I know these chapters are short and far between, but to you my faithful readers. You are getting these chapters as soon as they are finished. I do apologize for the lateness again and to all the people reading Reviews make a Wrath filled Wolf happy! And to Jenn if you ever read this I need your critisizm hunny_

_Love your W-W  
_

* * *

Estelle sat at the dinner table waiting for her family to return from their shopping trip. Admittedly she wished she could have gone along with her daughter, but with Lila... After everything that that girl had done, well she was lucky that her mother didn't kill her. The child was far too wild to be considered a young lady.

Estelle's eyes traveled to the family portrait hanging above the fireplace. Lila was only a toddler when it was commissioned. She was so sweet then; her hair combed neatly so it curled down and framed her chubby face charmingly, wide blue eyes just like her father's beamed at the viewer's they shone with untold secrets, she wasn't smiling in the picture, though everyone else was, her face was set into a sombre expression her lips only ever tilting up slightly at the corners.

Lila was no Perfecta that was for sure but, Estelle still held some pride that though Lila continued her growth in a very un-ladylike manner she still was growing into a beautiful girl. If only she could control her mannerisms more. Estelle rested her chin on her folded hands; at least Lila would be in Ravenclaw; that would help her. All the students in that house were very studious and sophisticated. Being around them should bring her energy levels way down.

"Mistress, should Ancilla serve dinner now for you, or would you like to wait for Master Kaine to return?" the house-elf piped up standing a few feet inside the doorway from the kitchen where smells of roast beef wafted in. Estelle felt her stomach contract as the scents of dinner reached her nose. With a brief glance to the clock on the wall she nodded.

"Wait a few more minutes and if they have yet to arrive begin serving." She commanded. Ancilla nodded bowing so deeply that her nose brushed against the floor before she disappeared back into the kitchen.

Estelle couldn't help but feel resentment towards the creature, her husband treated it with more kindness most days than he did her. She couldn't understand why, it was nothing more than a servant, a tool to be used no more valuable or expendable than a pot. Though she felt bad her husband cared more about it. Was it her fault that they no longer shared a bed? No! She just wanted some space from him. He didn't have to sleep in another room entirely; in fact she had only wanted separate rooms while she was bearing Lila because the hot flashes and restless nights she was experiencing was really too much for her to expect Kaine to be getting as much sleep as he needed for his work.

It had become habit after that for them to sleep in different rooms, but it didn't mean she hadn't missed his strong arms holding her close when she woke up crying from her nightmares.

"Mother! We're back! You'll never guess what Father bought me!"

Estelle was snapped from her thoughts as Lila ran into the dining room holding a large basket in her hands. Her deep blue eyes shone with great excitement. The basket was placed on the table right in front of her. The energy from the child was certainly contagious. She looked up to Kaine with cautious eyes.

"Its nothing dangerous I assume." She said warily lifting the top of the wicker basket, she peered inside.

A small white ball of fur was lying in the middle of the padded redlined basket. Estelle reached a manicured finger inside and prodded the furry creature. It shifted and she withdrew her hand quickly as a whiskered face appeared from the fur.

"What is it?" Estelle demanded as the animal uncurled itself stretching out its long body, its tail had a tiny black tip. She looked at its face and noticed its bright green eyes.

"He is a ferret, mother. Father got him for me." Lila replied smiling relieved that her mother had yet to start screaming in terror at the rodent. She watched her carefully bracing herself for the lecture she was sure was coming. Her hands twitch ready to grab the basket in case Estelle started frenzy.

Estelle took a calming breath as she looked at the animal in the basket. It was wandering around in circles pausing to sniff and scratch at the lining in places. She felt Kaine place a hand on her shoulder.

"I thought that since Perfecta got Napoleon for her first year it would be fair to buy Lila this critter." He explained reaching inside the basket to rub the ferret's back.

"What's his name?"

Lila squealed happily knowing her mother's question was unvoiced approval. "I called him Nichodemus."

"He's very handsome, but he mustn't be on the table when we are to eat dinner." Estelle said smiling widely, though inside she was revolted at the furry creature.

——

Lila sat on her bed in the early morning watching the sun rise. It had been so long since she'd been up early enough to watch it & she was reminded of how small she was in the world. Her trunk had been packed the night before with Ancilla's help. The house elf would look through the trunk then the room, muttering to herself in her squeaky voice before running from the room to retrieve something else. By nine everything had been packed and Lila was sent to bed, but the girl was too excited to sleep. She lay in bed for the longest time staring up at the roof of her canopy bed that had been enchanted to show the Bear constellation, before rolling onto her side. Finally after she assumed was several hours of trying to sleep Lila grabbed her wand and began waving it experimentally trying to see if anything would happen.

She'd succeeded in shooting red & yellow sparks from the tip. And because of that she nearly set the warm blankets ablaze. She hastily shoved her hands over the smouldering fabric cutting off the air and stopping the fire from happening.

"Lila darling are you awake?" Kaine walked into the room already dressed in his robes for the day, Lila ran over to him wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Well today's the day, are you ready to go to Hogwarts?"

She looked up at her father with wide eyes, they sparkled with excitement. The man laughed and ruffled her hair which was still tied up in braids to keep it from getting tangled as she slept.

"Did you get any sleep at all?"

"An hour or two maybe," Lila admitted reluctantly breaking under her father's playfully stern gaze. He shook his head good-naturedly and guided her out of the room to the dining room where Ancilla was serving hot porridge for breakfast.

Perfecta & Estelle were already seated and waiting for them. The blonde's looked up as the two entered the room; Lila ran to her seat still in her pyjama's and wolfed down her porridge before running from the room to get dressed.

"Kaine you must do something about that girl. She needs to be more refined." Estelle frowned. Kaine sighed and sat in his seat and spooned his porridge around in the bowl.

'Not one day.' He thought to himself pretending to pay attention to the conversations around him. "Estelle will you be accompanying myself and the girls to the Station to send them off?" he asked mildly raising an eyebrow to gaze at his wife sitting across from him. He brushed a lock of hair away from his face.

"I do not imagine so, I have many things to attend to around the house and pertaining to the girls' futures." She replied easily, almost secretively, a small smirk playing across her delicate lips. "I'm sorry."

Kaine restrained another sigh as he finished his meal and stood. "Perfecta gather your items, we will be leaving within the hour. Meet me in the front foyer will all your school belongings."


	4. Authors Note

Hey All its Wrath, I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. But I've a legitimate excuse, My laptop crashed leaving me useless. And my back up drive was more recently stolen, so I've been forced to rewrite entire chapters of my story. I figured I should at least tell you this. It may be a while before I can update with chapter 4 Apologies


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